The present invention relates to hinge structures for attaching movable parts to plumbing fixtures. More particularly it relates to a multi-part eccentric hinge assembly for connecting a seat, cover or the like to a plumbing fixture.
Plumbing fixtures such as bidets and toilets for cleaning and eliminating waste are well known. It is also well known for such fixtures to have a bowl holding plumbing water and a seat placed on the bowl for sitting on during use. The seat is typically pivotally attached to the bowl to allow it be moved out of the way, as when cleaning the bowl for example. To prevent objects from falling into the bowl, the seat is also often covered by a lid or seat cover that lies above the seat. Like the seat, the seat cover can be pivotally connected to the bowl.
Conventional seat and cover assemblies typically mount to the bowl by two bolts that fit through two openings in the rear deck of the bowl. A common hinge or two separate hinges connect the seat and cover to the mounts so that the cover or cover and seat can be pivoted up off of the bowl. In such conventional assemblies the hinges are exposed and somewhat unsightly. They also become a location where debris and urine can collect, thus making it more difficult to clean the fixture.
In certain fixtures, the location of the seat pivot axis is displaced from that of the cover. This can be to avoid the aesthetic and cleanliness problems associated with exposed hinges, or for other reasons, for example to accommodate raised rear deck areas of the bowl that contain washing controls and other features. Concealing the pivot axis presents other complications. Since the hinge must connect the seat cover, for example, to the bowl, the hinge arm must extend through an opening in the structure that conceals the pivot axis, usually a plastic housing mounted over the rear deck. If conventional straight hinges were used, the openings in the housings would have to be oversized, for example long slots, to permit the cover to pivot 90 degrees or slightly more as need to open and close the cover. Oversized openings like this create gaps into which object can fall and debris and liquids can collect. This problem has been overcome by using eccentric hinges, for example as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,633. As disclosed therein, such hinges can have a complex configuration, such as bent-back “U” or “C” shape, that allows the free ends of the hinges to follow a non-circular arc as the other ends pivot about the pivot axis. Such hinges can pivot 90 degrees or more through openings sized only slightly larger than the dimension of the hinge arm, thereby alleviating the aforesaid problem.
An additional complication with such concealed hinge arrangements pertains to manufacturing and assembly. To reduce assembly time and create a solid feeling connection at the seat cover, it is beneficial to form the hinge and seat cover as one piece, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,633. However, assembling the hinges to a concealed pivot axis then becomes difficult. Either the pivot ends of the hinges have to be slid down through the narrow openings and somehow blindly connected to the pivots, or the openings in the housing must be open-ended, which again raises dirt collection issues.
Hence, a need exists to provide eccentric hinges for use in concealed pivot axis arrangements that can be more easily assembled to plumbing fixtures.